PIEDMONT — The Bay Area city of Piedmont is mourning the death of three teenagers in the crash of a Tesla Cybertruck the day before Thanksgiving, according to reports by local media.
The three were identified as Soren Dixon, Jack Nelson and Krysta Tsukahara, all 2023 Piedmont High School graduates who came home from college to visit their families.
The crash occurred around 3 a.m. at Hampton Road and King Avenue after the group left an event. The front end of the Cybertruck was partially wrapped around a tree and the vehicle was engulfed in flames when first responders arrived, Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers said at a news conference.
Police officers tried to tackle the blaze, “but the fire was too intense for the extinguishers to be effective,” he said. The Piedmont Fire Department put out the fire.
“Tragically, this collision resulted in three people losing their lives. One individual was seriously injured and taken to an area hospital,” Bowers said. The injured person was identified as Jordan Miller.
The police chief said that “speed was a factor” in the accident, which remained under investigation.
Fire Chief Dave Brannigan said at the news conference that it was unlikely that the Cybertruck’s lithium battery caught fire because firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames.
Dixon’s family said in a statement that he was known for his “infec-tious smile” and his love of family and friends.
Nelson’s family described him as “full of life and made a lasting impact on people through his kindness and joy.”
Tsukahara was a sophomore at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. Her family said she was known for “her kind and sensitive heart.”
“I don’t know how the family can ever replace the loss of a child, but the community will come together in any way possible and give them support,” Brian Cain, whose son was classmates with the three, told KTVU. “And he says they were some of the nicest souls that he ever met …These are the kind of kids who went to Mexico and built homes year after year, and they were stars on the lacrosse team.”
At a Nov. 29 vigil honoring the victims, Piedmont Mayor Jen Cavenaugh said, “I’m moved by the way our small community has come together to offer solace to these families, and to one another, during a time of unimaginable loss. The outpouring of support on display at Thursday’s Turkey Trot and Friday’s evening vigil was tremendous. Now, we must respect the wishes of the victims’ families to grieve privately.”
The city’s annual Turkey Trot was held as planned on Thanksgiving Day, but the normally festive event became a memorial for the victims.
The Piedmont Police Department said in a statement prior to the event, “A long-standing and beloved tradition benefiting local youth athletics, this year’s Turkey Trot will take on new meaning as an opportunity to connect, comfort one another, and mourn as a community during this sorrowful time …
“City of Piedmont staff is working closely with event organizers to support adjustments to the long-planned event. Participants will have the opportunity to take an alternate route and place flowers on a memorial near the site of the collision.”